Tarak Mehta... beats Balika Vadhu

Looks like Anandi’s (Avika Gor) exit from Balika Vadhu didn’t go down well with its fans. The show on Colors and other popular soaps on leading channels have been beaten in the TRP race by the Sab TV sitcom, Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. The show has maintained its number one position in the 8.30 pm slot across channels and is amongst the top 10 in primetime period across all general entertainment channels.

Producer Asit Kumarr Modi says, “Sab TV’s reach is weaker than that of Sony and Star, but we’re growing, which is a positive sign. One episode - the Bhootni episode - got five TRPs, which is a big number.”

The show has also left the popular shows Bidaai (Star Plus) and Na Aana Iss Des Laado (Colors) behind. What’s the reason behind Tarak’s success? “I can’t comment on other shows. Our success is due to consistency in the episodes.

Our slice-of-life stories got us all kinds of audiences,” he says. Modi says that it takes a lot effort to keep the fun factor strong: “We’ve completed 435 episodes and constantly reinvent. The comedy needs to be perfect and the writers have to work harder.”